An Examination of the concept of environmental affordances with reference to sustain the built environment of religious processional paths of Sri Lanka

Abstract

This dissertation intends to examine the applicability of the Concept ofEnvironmental Affordance & how it effects to sustain the street character of the seasonal festival activities in the city. In order to address this issue, the minor developments in the streets and their formation of immediate environment and their communicative ability with the I activities of the festivals have to be discussed. • The interactive possibility of the objects or the features of the immediate environment are the modes of formation of the festive environment. Due to the rapid development ofthe city, object or the features of the immediate environment have been diminished their strength of capability & character to sustain seasonal processional activity. ! For an example, increase in land value, the new absurdity, blank fa~a.des of high rise buildings, sites and economic development in the urban context created the radical reshaping of the environment & that development has made an irreparable damage to the place as well as to the cultural identity of the place. The Religious Processional Path is the major part involves with the facilities of the community space during the festival time. lt has an evolution of unique features & characters during the festivity. It has a combination of many activities related with the street facade & immediate environment.